


Full Circle

by beautifulandsweet



Series: Next Adventure [1]
Category: Pocket Monsters | Pokemon (Anime), Pocket Monsters: Sword & Shield | Pokemon Sword & Shield Versions
Genre: Action/Adventure, Aged-Up Character(s), Hurt/Comfort
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-09
Updated: 2020-07-20
Packaged: 2021-03-05 00:53:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 12,059
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25175677
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/beautifulandsweet/pseuds/beautifulandsweet
Summary: Years after Goh and Ash have parted ways to pursue their dreams, Goh comes to Pallet Town to search for Mew, and instead he is captured by Team Rocket. Using the lessons that he has learned from all his friends, Goh must escape and protect Mew from Team Rocket’s schemes.
Relationships: Gou | Goh/Satoshi | Ash Ketchum
Series: Next Adventure [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1852231
Comments: 40
Kudos: 125
Collections: Firstfriend/Journeyshipping





	1. Rotom

"This isn't necessary," Goh complained. "It's not like I can run away."

Behind him, the Team Rocket grunt cinched the rope tighter around his wrists. Goh's arms were already sore from being wrenched around the back of the desk chair, and he had to keep wriggling his fingers to ward off the tingling from lack of circulation. Even so, he could tolerate being tied up if it weren't for the swelling in his left ankle. Blood had soaked his sock, and judging from the shooting pain when he moved it, he was pretty sure that something had broken.

Goh had been exploring the forest outside Pallet Town after a rumored sighting of Mew. He had stayed out too late and was still fumbling around at dusk when his foot caught on a tree root. It had been pure bad luck that he rolled down a hillside and practically landed in the middle of Team Rocket’s camp. 

"I've learned not to underestimate you." On the other side of the desk, Matori flicked through his Rotom phone. Her new office might have been a tent with a dirt floor, but the blank-faced secretary still did not have a hair out of place. Goh recognized her from any of a dozen times that he had played the distraction to Ash's hero while they foiled the latest Team Rocket scheme.

He wasn’t thrilled that she knew who he was, and he grew more worried as she continued, “Son of the co-founders of Go & Go Systems. Close friend of the Alolan Champion. Research partner at Cerise Laboratory." Matori turned the phone so that he could see the screen. "Not to mention the creator of this very interesting app. This radar detects psychic activity, right?"

Goh pressed his lips into a frown. Then he felt a light thump on the back of his head. "Commander asked you a question," the grunt warned.

Yes, Goh had created the app. It had taken him months, and it really only worked after he asked his mother to help him with a tricky bit of programming. The radar would pick up the psychic activity of any Pokemon within a mile's radius. He had hoped to expand that radius, but now that would have to wait.

"Rotom, delete all internal data." 

Matori flipped the phone back around, and Goh could not help the surge of satisfaction at the way her face crumpled with frustration as the screen went blank. 

Rotom escaped from the phone and zipped toward the ceiling light overhead, where it vanished. Goh let out a sigh of relief. Rotom could travel the electric lines to safety, and if he was lucky, Rotom could find Cerise Lab and call for help.

"What did you just do?" Matori threw the phone across the room. Goh cringed at the loud clatter. Professor Cerise had given him that phone, and somehow it had survived all his adventures until now. At least his Pokedex had been backed up on cloud storage.

Matori pulled another phone from her pocket. The camera light flashed green. She rattled off the date, an address, and an absurd amount of money. Only then did Goh realize that she was recording him, and he jerked against his bindings. "Wait--"

He could feel the blood rushing to his face. He had no idea how he looked, but he bet it wasn't a pretty sight after tumbling down that hillside. He could just imagine if his parents saw that kind of video. They already worried about him traveling so much, but if they received a ransom video, they would have simultaneous heart attacks.

The camera light switched to red. "So who do you think is most likely to pay your ransom?" Matori asked. "Your parents? Your boss? Your boyfriend?"

Goh gritted his teeth. Even if any of them had that kind of money, he wasn't worth it. "You wouldn't let me go even if they paid up, right?" 

"You are a useful person to keep around. Not only do you know a lot of interesting people," and Matori glanced up from typing on her phone, "but you know more about Mew than any other person in the world."

The non sequitur caught him by surprise. "Wait, what?" 

"As you are well aware, Team Rocket has suffered a series of setbacks. We used to be the most powerful crime organization in the world, and I fully intend on recreating that reality." Matori flipped her phone around again to reveal a blurry image of Mewtwo.

Goh had battled Mewtwo once, but it had been Ash who confided in him about Mewtwo's creation and some of its subsequent adventures. Goh had a lot of theories about Team Rocket's attempt to clone Mew and the wider implications, but he had never been able to substantiate any of them.

"Mewtwo was one of Team Rocket's greatest creations," Matori said. "Ancient peoples created many Pokemon, such as Golurk or the mythical Regis, but that technology was lost until our scientists experimented with the DNA of Mew. I have the technology to make a new Pokemon, one that is just as powerful but not so prone to... free thought."

Goh shivered. He did not want to meet any creature born in Matori’s twisted imagination. "But you need Mew's DNA." 

Matori nodded. "Even with all the DNA splicing technology at our disposal, we cannot isolate what it is that makes up Mew's power. I need a fresh sample. That's where you come in. I need you to catch Mew."

The answer came immediately. "I refuse."

"Oh? I thought that was your goal." 

Despite himself, Goh sighed. He didn't know how she knew that, but if he had to guess, it probably had a lot to do with the way his younger self had shouted his dreams to the sky at every opportunity. "Mew's going to be my partner. I won't let you hurt it."

"No?" Matori pulled a Pokeball from her pocket. "What about your current partner?"

"Cinderace!" Goh leaned forward, yanking painfully against his bindings. He knew that it was futile, but he couldn't help the panic that flared up at the sight of his partner in his enemy's hand. Goh had already accepted the fact that he was going to get hurt, but he had hoped Cinderace had escaped during that tumble down the hill. Who knew what Team Rocket would do to him?

Matori tucked the Pokeball back in her pocket and closed the distance between them. She ran her fingers through Goh's hair and then yanked his head up, forcing him to look at her. "You will catch Mew for us, or you won't be the only one who suffers."

When she walked out of the tent, Goh stared after her. He could not let anything happen to Mew or to Cinderace. He really hoped that Rotom had called for help, but he could not depend on that.

First he focused on wriggling his almost-numb fingers. If he was going to catch Mew, he would need his hands free. 

At least he could do that much, with a little trick he had learned from Cinderace.


	2. Psyduck

Ash stepped off the train with a crick in his neck and a fresh scorch mark. "Did you have to use Thunderbolt to wake me up?" he muttered through a yawn. On his shoulder, Pikachu chittered.

At least Pikachu had been able to stay awake. After missing their changeover last night, they had to take the overnight train back to Pallet Town. At least Ash could look forward to seeing some friendly faces. It had been months since he had seen his mother, Professor Oak... or Goh.

Lately, Ash had been missing his friend more than ever. Helping Leon expand the Battle Tower facilities had been a dream job. Ash had thrived in Wyndon. He had never been so surrounded by battle fanatics, young and old, newbie to veteran. He didn't think he would ever get tired of it... until he did.

Sure, he still explored the wilderness areas around Galar, and he met new people all the time. Even so, Ash suddenly found himself nostalgic for fieldwork with Goh. 

They tried to talk on the phone almost every day, but it had been months of missed connections. Even when Goh visited Galar to explore ruins with Sonia, Ash had only been able to spare an afternoon to meet Goh for scones and milk tea. Goh had spent the whole time going on about some new research on Mew, and Ash could not have been happier.

Because Goh still made everything feel so new and exciting. It had been a breath of fresh air, and Ash had not realized how much he missed it until he took the flying taxi back to Wyndon.

Still rubbing at the crick in his neck, Ash thought longingly of other travels, all those times he had fallen asleep on a train with his head resting on Goh's shoulder while Goh read articles on his phone, or that time they took a ferry and Ash leaned too far over the side to peer at some Mantine. When Goh had tried to yank him back from the edge, they both fell overboard into freezing water, but afterward they had a good long laugh as they thawed out over some hot chocolate. 

Pikachu pinched his cheek. "Chuuu."

"Right, right. Less daydreaming, more walking." Ash consoled himself that Goh had promised to let him show him around this week, but if he wanted to give Goh the full tour of his hometown, first he needed to find him. 

Pikachu perked up a moment later, and Ash followed his gaze. Across the station, his mother waved. "Over here!"

She wore an Alolan sunhat that Ash recognized from his last videochat with Goh. Goh had been so worried about what gift to choose for Ash's mother that he had insisted on touring half of the boutiques in Vermilion before settling on the hat. Ash should not have found his panic-shopping so endearing.

Beside Ash’s mother, Mr. Mime held up a picnic basket. The sight of it made Ash's stomach rumble.

"Hey, Mom, Mimey!" Ash hugged them both before helping himself to a muffin from the basket. "Oh man, you guys are the best. You didn't have to come all the way out here to meet me."

His mother smiled, but the smile did not reach her eyes. "About that... is Goh with you? We expected you both last night."

"He's not here?" Ash glanced at his mother’s hat.

“He dropped off his bag at the house last night, but then he rushed off without telling me where he was going. I know that you two are adults now, but I wish you would keep me in the loop. You know how I worry.” Beside her, Mr. Mime made a tut-tutting gesture.

“Sorry, Mom.” Ash offered her an apologetic smile, even though he made an effort to keep her up-to-date on his life. It did worry him that Goh hadn't waited for him, but maybe he just got carried away in his excitement. 

Even so, Ash pulled out his phone and typed a quick message. "Where are you? Just got here. Mom says you didn't come home last night?"

Ash followed his mother out of the train station and took a deep breath. He hadn't appreciated it growing up, but after traveling to so many cities, he had come to love the fresh, clean air of Pallet Town. The wind smelled like a cross between wildflowers and a clean mountain stream. His mother must have noticed the antsy bounce in his step because she offered to go ahead and let him stretch his legs out. He thanked her and turned down the road to loop through town.

He made it halfway to Professor Oak’s lab before his phone chimed. He smiled as he pulled up the text.

The smile dropped a moment later. The video lasted just a few seconds: just yesterday's date, an address outside town, an outrageous dollar amount... and a panning view of Goh, looking dirty and scraped-up while tied to a chair. There was a bruise over his right eye and a suspicious dark spot on his left pant-leg that made Ash think he had been hurt.

During their travels, Ash and Goh had gotten into plenty of scrapes. They had faced angry Pokemon and devious people. They had fallen down and picked themselves back up again more times than they could count, but never had Ash seen his friend in a situation like this-- alone and helpless and too far away for Ash to do anything about it. A dozen questions flashed through his mind, like where his Pokemon were and who had taken him, but none of that mattered.

Ash played the short video again. To his relief, Goh had glared at the video as if he did not realize that he was being recorded until he startled at the end, said "wait," and leaned forward as the camera cut off. The look of defiance in his eyes gave Ash some hope. 

"Hang in there," he said. On his shoulder, Pikachu chirped determinedly. "We're on our way."

Goh rolled the pebble under his right foot, angled his toes toward the tent pole, and then kicked the pebble into the pole with a loud clang. The Team Rocket grunt who had been dozing behind him jerked awake with a curse. He roughly patted Goh on the top of the head as he ambled toward the door of the tent to check out the sound.

Goh was quickly growing tired of being patted like a Lillipup. 

When the grunt turned around, Goh pushed himself forward, chair and all, and tackled him. The tackle ended with Goh flailing on top of the grunt, still bound to the chair and now with a throbbing ankle and a goose egg where his head had connected with the grunt's chin. 

But he lucked out. The grunt smacked his head on the ground. "One hit KO," Goh muttered. He used his good leg to shove the chair sideways, and to his satisfaction, the back of the chair cracked. After a frantic minute of wobbling back and forth, Goh managed to pull himself free. His hands were still bound behind him, and the painfully tight rope had turned his hands a worrying shade of purple. At least he could walk... or at least, hobble. When he put weight on his hurt ankle, it threatened to give out under him.

"No time for self-pity," he scolded himself. He tried to channel his inner Ash. Ash wouldn’t let a stupid injury stop him. He would probably shout something about “believing in himself” and power through to save the day. Goh would settle for escaping with Cinderace. 

Goh shuffled over to the tent door and carefully peered out. The camp seemed to consist of a handful of tents pitched around a forest clearing. A couple of guards stood to one side of the clearing. Judging from the grim looks on their faces, these Rockets fell more in line with Matori than with the Jessie and James that Goh had become more familiar with. 

That made sense. Jessie and James had threatened him plenty over the years, but he had never seen them do much lasting harm. The rest of Team Rocket... well, Goh needed to find Cinderace and get out of there. 

As soon as the guards looked in the opposite direction, Goh dashed out and behind one of the other tents. He pressed an ear close to the wall but did not hear anything inside. Maybe just storage? 

Something warm brushed against Goh's leg. He yelped and, losing his balance on his good foot, fell on his butt.

A dazed-looking Psyduck tilted its head at him.

"What was that?" a guard called. Goh heard approaching footsteps, and he tried to scramble upright-- only for the Psyduck to press a fin against his mouth, as if telling him to be quiet.

Then the world shifted. 

One moment, Goh was sitting on the ground with Psyduck, and the next moment, they were gone.


	3. Chansey

“What-- what-- what just happened?!” Goh spluttered. His head spun as he took in the surrounding area: the damp rock wall to his back, the stream burbling a few feet in front of him, a pinkish morning sun peeking over the surrounding trees. It was an improvement over the Team Rocket camp, but Goh did not recognize this place at all. 

He forced himself to take a deep breath. The clear, floral-scented air could only belong to Pallet Town, so he must not have gone far. That was a relief.

A flipper patted his knee. Goh flinched away, more startled than anything, but the Psyduck continued to stare at him. Goh stared back. Psyduck did not live in the area, and they did not learn Teleport.

Then the Psyduck did something really strange. It giggled.

Goh felt all the air rush out of his lungs. "I know that voice..." 

The air shimmered, and in a blinding flash of rainbows and light, Mew floated above where the Psyduck had stood. The pink creature giggled again.

“Wooow.” Goh practically vibrated in place. He felt like a little kid all over again. He wanted so badly to hug it. He could already feel his face splitting in a huge grin. His voice hushed in awe. "You are so awesome. I've wanted to meet you for such a long time."

Mew looped around midair, as if preening. Then it swooped closer and pressed a paw to Goh's cheek. The pink fur felt as soft as a Skitty's, but the warmth surprised him. It reminded him of how warm Lugia's skin had felt, that time he had ridden it.

Goh felt like his heart was going to pound right out of his chest, he was so excited.

"We met once before," he said, trying to keep his voice soft enough not to scare Mew away. "Do you... remember me?"

Mew chirped again, and then a stream of images flashed through Goh’s mind. He saw younger versions of himself and Chloe, that day that they chased Mew through this same forest. He saw the time Lugia rescued him and his friends by Vermilion Port during the Pokemon Orienteering event. He watched a dozen other scenes from his adventures across Kanto with Ash and Pikachu… but it was as if he were watching it all from overhead, or from a distance. Then the images faded, and Mew was still brushing its paw against his cheek.

"Did you just show me all that?" Goh asked. "Wait... were you there, all those times?"

Goh leaned forward, but he flinched when his hands flared with pain. Mew peered around him, and he twisted to look, too, at his angrily purple hands. Goh grimaced. “"I don't suppose you know Scratch, do you?"

Mew did not use Scratch. Instead, Goh felt an eerie vibration through the air, and the ropes start to move on their own accord, like snakes. A moment later, the ropes fell to the ground. Goh immediately stretched his shoulders and started to rub feeling back into his hands. The movement sent sharp pains shooting down to his fingertips, and Goh gritted his teeth.

There was that flash of rainbows again, and Mew transformed into Chansey. Chansey waved its hands in a circular motion. A pink aura lofted up and filled the air with a candy-like scent. Goh relaxed back against the rock behind him as the pain subsided, giving way to a gentle warmth. Even his ankle felt better… sore, but stronger, like it might hold his weight. 

“Heal Pulse,” he recognized the move. Out of habit, he reached into his pocket for his phone to get footage for Professor Cerise. He remembered a second later that his phone was still in pieces at Team Rocket’s camp.

Then his fingers brushed against a Pokeball at the bottom of his pocket. After missing his chance to catch a different-colored Stunfisk a few years ago, Goh always tried to keep a spare. He was a little surprised that Team Rocket hadn’t confiscated the Pokeball along with everything else he had been carrying last night.

When Goh drew the Pokeball from his pocket, Chansey morphed back into Mew. It chirped worriedly. “Mew?”

All it would take was one throw. Goh could achieve his ultimate goal and prove himself to everyone who had ever doubted his dreams. Finally, his future truly was in the palm of his hand.

Mew backed away. Its face clouded with uncertainty… until Goh set the Pokeball on the rocky ground between them. 

"If you've seen all that," he said, referencing Mew's memories, "then you know that I want to catch you. I want to be partners."

Mew crept closer until it could nudge the ball with the tip of its tail. When the ball moved, Mew darted backward.

It was so cute… and so unbelievably frustrating. Goh couldn’t help laughing at himself a little. His lifelong dream was hovering in front of him, and he was going to let it slip right through his fingers.

“Even if I could throw a Pokeball right now,” and Heal Pulse or not, Goh had his doubts that he could, “I won’t try to steal you like Team Rocket. I think you’re awesome, and I’d rather be friends. Please?”

Mew visibly brightened. It swooped around in a wide figure eight before diving toward Goh and nuzzling against his face. 

“Thank you,” Goh said. His voice came out husky as his throat tightened with emotion. He had to blink back happy tears. Even if he did not catch Mew, this felt enough like a dream coming true. He let himself enjoy the moment, but then he forced himself to focus. “So, um… if you don’t want to be captured, you need to get far away from here. Do you understand?”

An image of Cinderace flashed through his mind, and Mew crooned questioningly.

Goh nodded. “Don’t worry. I’m going to rescue him.” He didn’t know how he was going to save Cinderace, but he would not leave his friend in Matori’s hands. He briefly remembered the time at the resort in Sinnoh, when Team Rocket had stolen Pikachu from Ash. If Ash were here, he would already be running back toward the camp. 

Come to think of it, Goh had been supposed to meet Ash and his mother for dinner the night before. He grimaced when he realized that they must be worried, but his apology would have to wait. 

Steadying himself with a hand on the rock wall behind him, Goh pocketed the Pokeball and pushed himself upright. He shifted a little weight on his left ankle. It hurt, but it held.

Mew watched him with calculating blue eyes. 

“It’s okay.” Goh offered a reassuring smile. “You get as far from here as you can. Don’t worry. I’ll find you again, and then I’ll convince you to be my partner.”

Mew ducked close enough to touch his shoulder with a little pink paw, as if to say goodbye… and suddenly they teleported again.

Back at Team Rocket’s camp, Matori viewed security footage on her smart phone. She watched the Psyduck approach her escaped prisoner and teleport them both away. A smile slid across her face. “Perfect.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I considered drawing this out for the suspense and revealing Mew later, but to be honest, I just really like Mew and wanted to get it into the story right away. Side note, I don't love calling Mew an "it," but since Mew is genderless, that's the pronoun I'm going with.


	4. Poliwag

_Six months earlier..._

“You can’t smuggle yourself into my suitcase,” Ash noted with amusement. 

Goh looked up from the suitcase propped open on the bottom bunk. He didn’t want to admit that he was worried Ash hadn’t packed enough warm clothes for Wyndon. Instead, he smirked and shoved some of the clothes around. “If I scootch this over, I might be able to squeeze in…” Ash tossed a pillow at him. Goh batted it away. 

“You can just admit that you’ll miss me. It’s going to get boring around the lab now.”

Goh rolled his eyes. With several hundred Pokemon in the park and visitors streaming in to see them all? Please. “I’ll try to struggle through the days,” he said.

Ash flopped back on the bed with a bounce. From the smug grin on his face, he knew exactly how much Goh would miss him, so Goh resolved not to give him the satisfaction of saying it. He was sure that he’d be visiting, anyway. Sonia always had something new cooking up at her new digs in Wedgehurst, and that really wasn’t so far from Wyndon. At least, that’s what Goh was going to tell himself.

“Hey, you’re still going to look for Mew while I’m gone, right?”

That took him by surprise. Goh flipped the suitcase closed and leaned against it. “Well, yeah. Why wouldn’t I?”

“I’m just curious.” Ash shrugged. “Why is it that you want to meet Mew so badly, anyway?”

Goh’s mouth opened and then slammed shut again. "You really want to spend your last night in Kanto listening to me go on and on?"

"You don't have to go on and on." Ash patted the bed. Goh sank back beside him, just close enough that their shoulders touched. "Really, tell me. It's not like you're after fame and fortune."

"Oh, I'm not? What if I'm really after a place in the history books?" Ash swatted him with the pillow again. “Ah, stop it. It’s just… you’re going to think it’s silly.”

Ash pointed a finger at himself, the king of silliness. Goh took the hint and relented.

"Well... you know that I saw Mew once when I was little." He briefly recalled the fight between Mew and Nidoking, the way that Mew had been toying with the giant, and the way that he and Chloe had chased after Mew afterward.

"I thought we'd lost sight of it, but then something amazing happened." Goh's voice hushed as he sank into the memory. "A baby Kangaskhan fell off a rock, but before it could get hurt, Mew flew in and saved it with its psychokinesis. Here was this powerful Pokemon, strong enough to beat up a Nidoking, who was also soft and kind enough to save a baby Kangaskhan."

"Sounds awesome," Ash said.

Goh nodded. "It was like something out of a fairy tale. Ever since then, I really wanted to be friends with a Pokemon like that. Mew's kind of my hero."

A moment later, Goh realized what he had said and blushed. "That probably sounds strange."

Ash shook his head. "Nah, sounds about right to me. Sounds like the perfect fit for you."

"For me?" Goh asked, but Ash hopped up from the bed, apparently done with the conversation.

Ash crossed to the window to look out at the setting sun. If he looked a little like a hero, too, then Goh wasn’t going to tell him. 

_Present day..._

Ash checked the address again. He didn't know what he had expected of a location where he was supposed to pay a ransom, but the Pokemon Ranger station wasn't it. On the weekend, there would have been young families here taking pictures with the wooden cutouts of Pidgey and Rattata on the wraparound porch. Ash had come here as a kid to play tag with his friends and spy on the Poliwags in the stream behind the building. 

Pikachu jiggled a doorhandle and peered in a window, but with the lights off, there wasn't much to see. Ash had already paced around the building half a dozen times, but there was no sign of Goh or anyone else. 

His phone buzzed in his hand. The name on the screen surprised him. "Hi, Chloe. What's up?"

"Is Goh with you?" she asked without preamble. She sounded... harried. "There's a Rotom bouncing around the lab, and Dad seems to think it's the one that should be in his phone." There was a loud crash from her end of the line.

Ash tried to picture Goh without his phone attached to his hand and came up short. “We actually got separated,” he told Chloe. “I’m on my way to meet him now.” 

“But he’s okay?” Chloe pressed. She must have heard the strain in his voice. Chloe might act indifferent, but if she thought her friend was in trouble, there would be no keeping her away. Ash also knew that Goh would never forgive him if he put Chloe in danger. He could always call in the cavalry later.

"He will be," Ash promised. "I'll let him tell you the full story later, okay? Can you take care of Rotom for a while?”

"Do you hear that, Rotom? You have to behave until they get back." A jarring screech followed. “Sorry, Ash, this guy is kind of a handful. Maybe Dad can-- hey!” The line went dead before she could finish talking. 

Pikachu whined sympathetically. Pikachu knew from experience how Rotoms could get into trouble when they weren’t given a task to do. 

Ash wanted to laugh it off, but worry gnawed at his stomach. He clutched his own phone in his hand and then forced himself to release the pressure, so as not to hurt his own Rotom. 

“Where is he?” he asked.

It was only because he was looking at his phone’s screen that he saw the reflection of something move above him. He tilted his head back, and suddenly something heavy dropped on him. “What the--” 

He realized three things simultaneously. One, he had tumbled onto his backside and had the wind knocked out of him. Two, something floated in front of him, and if he weren’t spluttering for breath, he would have sworn it was Mew.

Three, the thing had dropped onto him was a person. Goh groaned as he struggled to sit up. He had a bruise on his forehead and rope marks on his wrists, but he was here.

One moment, Goh had been standing in the forest trying to send Mew away to safety, and the next, he had dropped directly into Ash's lap. 

It was far from a graceful landing. Goh knocked his head against Ash's shoulder, and he could hear Ash gasp from the sudden pressure on his ribs. Goh spun his head around, trying to figure out where they were now, but he was distracted by a pair of strong arms wrapped around his waist. 

Ash yanked him into a bear hug. "Goh!” 

Goh froze. He hadn't seen Ash in person for months, and now Ash was here and burying his face in Goh's shirt. 

Despite everything-- having been injured and kidnapped and teleported twice, not to mention meeting Mew face-to-face-- some part of Goh just dissolved into a gooey puddle of calm. Just because this was Ash. If Ash was here, then everything had to turn out okay.

Still melting into the hug, Goh scanned the area around them. He didn't recognize the building with the vaguely kindergarten vibe, but he recognized the electric mouse that scampered up the back of Ash's vest and wedged itself into the middle of the embrace.

Then Mew chittered behind him, and Goh twisted at the waist to get a look at it. "Hey! I told you to escape!" Unconcerned, Mew looped around in a loose pattern above them. 

Ash's arms had not budged at all, but he leaned back to gawk at the sight of the mythical Pokemon. "Oh wow. I can't believe you did it! You caught Mew!"

"Oh yeah." Goh grinned. "Meet my new friend. I didn't actually catch it-- yet-- but Mew's helping me. At least, I think." The teleportation had surprised him. Just how had Mew known where to find Ash, anyway?

"Helping you?" Ash asked, and his grip around Goh's middle tightened.

"Right. Sorry, but I have a bit of a situation. Team Rocket's after Mew." Goh pried at Ash's arms, but Ash did not budge. "They have Cinderace," Goh said, hoping that the urgency would be apparent to his friend.

"So it was Team Rocket that sent that video?"

Goh cringed. Until that moment, he had almost forgotten about Matori's ransom attempt. "You saw that?" That explained the death grip.

Ash's lips had clenched into a white line. Wedged between them, Pikachu practically crackled with fury. 

It was touching that they cared so much, but Goh didn't need their anger right now. At this point, Goh was running mostly on adrenaline and Mew-induced euphoria. If Ash made him feel like a victim right now, Goh didn't know if he could cope with that.

So he took a deep breath, grabbed Ash's face in both hands, and channeled his inner Chloe.

"Focus. I'm going back in there. Cinderace needs me. Are you coming along or not?"

Ash met his glower with an eye roll. "As if you could keep me away. What's the plan?"


	5. Koffing

Goh did not have a plan.

As soon as he squirmed out of Ash’s hug, Goh climbed off the porch and found a stick in the dirt. With Mew peering over one shoulder, Goh quickly sketched out what looked like a map of Pallet Town.

Ash leaned against the porch railing to watch. He tried not to feel hurt that Goh had been so quick to put a distance between them. 

He guessed that made sense. Goh had to focus on rescuing Cinderace. Ash could understand that. He glanced down at Pikachu, still nestled under one of his arms. He had been known to go to extremes to protect his little partner.

Then again, Goh already looked like he had been through something extreme, with all the bruises and scuff marks, not to mention the dark spot at the hem of his pants that looked an awful lot like blood. Ash had to fight the urge to snag him by the collar and haul him to the nearest hospital.

But Goh would never forgive him that, not with Cinderace in danger, so Ash took a deep breath and walked over to Goh’s sketched-out map. He borrowed the stick to make a helpful “we’re here” in the dirt. Goh thanked him with a bright smile.

Then Mew stole the stick from Ash’s hand and scribbled a swirling line through the left half of the map. Goh made a grab for it, but Mew distracted him by gently bonking its head against his cheek. Goh visibly melted for about three seconds before he schooled his face back into Chloe-like sternness. 

“Just how did you know to bring us here, anyway?” He tapped the spot Ash had marked. 

Mew flipped backward in a midair somersault. “That’s not an answer,” Goh noted.

“Did you want to end up somewhere else?” Ash asked.

“I haven’t exactly been in the driver’s seat,” Goh admitted. “You came here looking for me, right? So that means Team Rocket has to be nearby.”

Ash shrugged. “I guess so. I expected someone to be here…” It worried him that no one had shown up to collect the ransom that Ash had not brought with him. Had he come to the wrong address after all, or was this a trap?

Goh must have misread his silence because his voice softened. “Hey. I’m okay.”

Ash appreciated the reassurance, but… “That would be more convincing if you didn’t look like you fell off a cliff.”

Goh had the nerve to laugh. “Is it really that bad?”

Mew made a trilling sound before transforming once more… into a mirror version of Goh. The real Goh jerked back with a yelp, only staying on his feet because Ash reached out to steady him.

Ash’s hand brushed against the bruising marks around Goh’s wrist. Goh spared him a chagrined look, as if he were sorry for worrying him. There was something wrong about that, but before Ash could say anything, Goh switched into researcher mode. “Is that really what I look like? Ash, can you tell a difference?”

Goh waved a hand, and his doppelganger waved back-- vigorously and with a smile that was too childish to match Goh’s face. Then it scooped Pikachu up for a snuggle that seemed to delight the electric mouse. “I don’t know,” Ash teased, “it acts like you, too.” Goh scowled at him. Then the doppelganger giggled with Mew’s voice, and Ash cringed. “Okay, that’s freaky.”

“So Mew can transform into something besides Pokemon. I’ve never heard of that.” Goh propped his chin on a fist as he thought. “Can Mew transform into objects, or just living things? Why does the voice stay the same?”

“You sound just like Professor Cerise,” Ash said.

“I’ll take that as a compliment.” Then Goh perked up as if he had noticed something. Ash followed his gaze toward the wooden cutouts of Rattata and Pidgey. “Hey, Ash? Doesn’t it seem quiet around here?”

Now that Goh mentioned it, Ash not seen any Pokemon in the surrounding trees the entire time they had been talking. Ash listened and didn't hear anything... until something rustled in the tall grass.

Ash shoved Goh and Mew down with either hand, just as a net whizzed through the air over their heads. Mew shimmered back to its own form and zipped behind Goh. Pikachu crouched into a battle stance and stopped the next net midair with a well-aimed Electroweb.

“Nice work, Pikachu!” Ash scanned the treeline and saw two men in Team Rocket uniforms. One held a net cannon. The second man led a Koffing and Machoke.

The first grunt smirked as he approached. “Run into complications, have we? No worries. Play our cards right, and this can earn us a promotion.”

“We’ll take ‘em out in one,” the second said. “Machoke, Seismic Toss!”

Machoke grabbed the Koffing like a baseball and pitched it toward Pikachu. As it was flung through the air, the Koffing started to glow as if it were about to use Explosion.

Just as Ash called for Pikachu to dodge, he heard Goh shout behind him, “Quick! Psyduck!”

There was a flash, but Koffing landed on the ground in front of Pikachu with a quiet bounce. Ash twisted around. Instead of Mew, a Psyduck now peeked out from behind Goh’s legs.

Goh heaved a sigh of relief. He had gambled whether Mew would understand him, or whether the Psyduck transformation would grant it the Damp ability that would keep Koffing from exploding. “You’re the best,” he told Mew.

Then his hand went to his waist, ready to call on Cinderace to join the battle. Oh. Right.

Nearby, Pikachu electrocuted the poor Koffing and dodged a punch from Machoke. One Thunderbolt and a Quick Attack to the back of Machoke's ankle, and Pikachu swept the battle. 

About the time the Team Rocket grunts realized how outmatched they were, Ash made a "bring it" gesture that he had probably picked up from his Sirfetch'd. Team Rocket recalled their Pokemon and turned tail.

“Cowards,” Ash muttered.

“Don’t just stand there! Follow them!” Goh hefted Psyduck into his arms and raced after the grunts. This was their chance to find the way back to the Rocket camp! A moment later, Ash and Pikachu caught up, and Mew squiggled out of his arms to fly beside him instead.

“Listen,” Goh huffed as he ran, “I have an idea…”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So. Many. Drafts. There's always one chapter that gives me fits, and this was the one. Still not sure I'm satisfied with the result, but I'm ready to dive into what comes next. The next battle won't be so easy for our heroes...
> 
> Thank you for all the comments until now-- I absolutely reread them all when I needed encouragement today. :)


	6. Garchomp

Ash didn’t even attempt to sneak into the camp. Rather, he rode in on the heel of a Hyper Beam. The helicopter exploded with a satisfying boom, and smoke rolled over the clearing as Dragonite dove into the thick of things.

“Like kicking a Beedrill’s nest,” Goh had said when Ash suggested this addition to the plan. Ash had protested-- he would _never_ hurt a Beedrill-- and Goh had given him a look of pure exasperation. 

Now, as Ash helped Goh off Dragonite’s back, he noted that his friend’s face had hardened into focus. His eyes flitted across the Team Rocket members running to surround them. He shook his head at Ash-- no sign of Cinderace.

Dragonite stomped her feet, eager to raise more havoc. That was rare for the normally gentle dragon, but Ash wasn’t going to argue when he felt the same way. “Use Hurricane!”

Dragonite raised a violent wind that sent several Team Rocket members stumbling backward. A brave Raticate leaped to defend its trainer, but Pikachu met it head-on with a Thunderbolt.

Static crackled through the air and threatened to turn the Hurricane into a real thunderstorm. Ash sized up his opponents, about a dozen Rocketeers with an array of mostly Fighting and Poison types. So he might not have a type advantage, and he was outnumbered. 

Goh bumped into him from behind, and Ash noticed his fists, clenched as if he wanted to join the fight. It was a different look for the researcher who was, normally, happy to cheer on Ash from the sidelines. It seemed like everyone was raring to go-- Ash included.

“You can give up now,” he called over to Team Rocket. “Give us Cinderace, and we’ll leave.”

Of course it wasn’t that easy.

At her makeshift desk, Matori flicked through the camera feeds on her phone. She knew from experience how important it was to keep her eyes on every part of an operation. Lately, too many of her endeavors had failed because of incompetent underlings-- one pair in particular came to mind-- or meddling trainers. This time, she wasn’t leaving anything to chance. 

She glanced at the Pokeball sitting on the desktop. The Cinderace inside kept his back to her, as if defiance would change anything. Matori had stolen enough Pokemon that she knew how to break the most loyal creatures until they were happy to serve Team Rocket. This one, though? He could sulk all he wanted. He had already served his purpose.

Goh would be back. After all, he couldn’t leave behind his precious Pokemon. These righteous young trainers were so predictable.

So when an explosion shook the ground and a violent wind tore at the tent-flaps, Matori was not surprised. On her camera feed, she watched Goh and the Alolan champion setting up to battle her troops. The one thing she did not see was Mew. Had it transformed?

It didn’t matter. Matori had prepared for everything. 

In his Pokeball, Cinderace’s ears swiveled back.

Matori turned. In the corner, her Tangrowth stood at attention. At the bottom hem of the tent flap, a hand curled around the edge of the fabric. “Tangrowth, use Bind.”

There was a squawk and a rustle of fabric, and then Goh was yanked into the tent. Blue vines pinned his arms to his sides. Matori noted that he was not carrying any Pokeballs. He eyed her warily but said nothing.

“Well, here we are again,” she said. “Did Mew find you?”

His eyes widened. Matori chuckled-- so he had not noticed after all.

When Matori first started researching man-made Pokemon, she read through Team Rocket’s research on Mewtwo, the Aether Foundation’s experiments on Type:Full, and even the more easily accessible information on Pokemon like Porygon and Castform. In every case, the experiments never got off the ground until researchers got their hands on Mew’s DNA. Apparently, Mew had not always been so shy, because most of those samples were preserved within ancient ruins.

Mew remained elusive enough that many people forgot it existed, or gave it up as a myth for children. Then, twelve years ago, several people claimed to see Mew around Pallet Town. A small community grew up around the hope of meeting the legendary Pokemon. Eventually, that community moved into the online space. Matori had frequented many of the chatrooms, and it was there that she noticed a strange pattern.

There was one user who often posted theories about Mew, often adding travel anecdotes to back up this or that point. “If a Hoothoot uses Foresight, could it identify Mew when it transforms?” the user had once asked, only to answer his own question later, “Nope-- when Mew transforms, it’s not an illusion, so Foresight won’t work….” 

Then the user posted something about Vermilion City the same day that Mew had been rumored to be seen nearby. A few months later, the same thing happened near the Seafoam Islands.

It had taken Matori a long time to track down Goh’s identity… or to realize that Mew did seem to be appearing in many of the same places that he traveled. She didn’t know why, but she didn’t need to. All she knew was that she could use it to her advantage.

“You shouldn’t believe everything you read on the internet,” Matori said. “All it took was a couple of posts on the forums, and here you are. Didn’t you notice that Mew has been following you?”

Goh didn’t even look at her. Instead, he stared at Cinderace with an expression that she couldn’t quite place. 

Matori frowned. No reaction? Why hadn’t he said anything?

Then there was movement on her phone screen, still lying face-up on the desk. Matori glimpsed footage of the two boys still in battle with her troops. She glanced between the Goh on the screen and the Goh standing in front of her.

She yanked an Ultra Ball from her belt and threw it.

It hit Goh in the face, and he broke with his silence with a yelp. The Ultra Ball fell to the ground with a clatter.

“If you’re not a Pokemon…” She looked back at the doppelganger on the screen. She grabbed Cinderace’s Pokeball and dashed for the exit. “Then that one’s Mew! Tangrowth, follow me!”

Dragonite and Pikachu knocked down the first dozen or so Pokemon, but Team Rocket still had an ace up their sleeve. Ash did not recognize the woman with short red hair. As her colleagues fell back, she stepped forward with an air of confidence that reminded him of some of the veteran trainers he had faced in the Battle Tower.

She held up two Pokeballs in one hand, as if she were holding a fan instead. Ash noted the Mega Stone fixed to her bracelet. “Are you sure you don’t want to quit while you’re ahead?” the woman asked. 

His competitive side took over. “Not while we’re on a hot streak.”

She tossed the Pokeballs to reveal Slowking and Garchomp. Garchomp had barely emerged from its Pokeball before it launched across the clearing. Garchomp’s head glowed with a light blue aura as it slammed into Dragonite. 

“Was that Dragon Rush?” Ash flinched as Dragonite rolled backward, knocking into a tree. She shook herself back to her feet. Ash knew that battles between dragons could get intense. He had to eliminate his second opponent so that he could focus on helping Dragonite. “Pikachu, Thunderbolt!”

Pikachu launched lightning at Slowking. The Slowking stumbled backward, but then it wagged its stubby paw. Pikachu tilted its head, as if confused. 

“Thunderbolt is disabled!” the red-haired woman crowed. 

“We’re not done yet,” Ash gritted his teeth. “Iron Tail!”

Pikachu dashed toward Slowking and tried to knock off its crown with Iron Tail, but as Pikachu got close, Slowking grabbed it between its paws.

“Foul Play!” the woman shouted, and Slowking flung Pikachu toward the ground. Pikachu landed hard.

Ash heard Goh gasp behind him, and he flung an arm out. “Stay back,” he warned. “Dragonite! Hurricane again!”

Dragonite whipped up a powerful wind, knocking Garchomp off its rhythm before its next attack. The commotion bought Pikachu enough time to regain his feet. Pikachu zipped toward Slowking with a Quick Attack. Before the attack could connect, Pikachu stopped midair. With Psychic, Slowking sent Pikachu hurtling backward. Dragonite dove to catch him before Pikachu could hit the ground again. 

“Nice work!” Ash called. 

“You live up to your reputation,” the woman said. “Guess we better get serious.” She touched the Mega Stone at her wrist.

Ash braced himself. Which Pokemon would Mega Evolve-- Slowking or Garchomp?

Colors flashed around Garchomp. Fins morphed into great red blades. Spikes lined Garchomp’s body. Its eyes boiled with rage.

Slowking might as well have not existed. Mega Garchomp flew at Dragonite. Pikachu tried to slow it down with an Electroweb, but Garchomp sliced right through it. The next Dragon Rush caught Dragonite in the stomach. Dragonite curled around Pikachu as they both hurtled backward. 

Goh’s hand wrapped around Ash’s wrist, hard enough to bruise. Ash glanced over. “Don’t worry. We got this.”

Garchomp raced toward Dragonite and Pikachu once more. This time, though, a strange orange aura was growing around Dragonite. Pikachu scrambled to Dragonite’s shoulder as the dragon tilted her head back. When she opened her mouth, the orange light filled the sky.

Dragonite fired a huge ball of flame at Garchomp, blasting it back toward the ground. There wasn’t just one, though-- Dragonite spewed dozens of the orange fireballs at Garchomp and at Slowking, too. 

The red-haired woman shrieked as she recalled her Pokemon. “What was that?”

“A special move we learned in Galar,” Ash said. Dragonite landed beside him, and Pikachu leaped to his customary perch on Ash’s shoulder. “Draco Meteor.”

“Very impressive.”

The calm voice startled Ash. The battle had distracted him enough that he had not noticed Matori approach. Behind her, a lumbering Tangrowth held Cinderace’s Pokeball in one arm and kept the other arm wrapped around Goh’s middle.

Matori spared a glance at the red-haired woman. “You fought well, Sham. Please prepare for retreat.”

“Ma’am?”

“Our victory is imminent.” As the woman turned away, presumably to follow orders, Matori faced Ash. “Now, I believe we should deal properly. I have something you want, and you have something I want.”

“Just take Mew and run,” Goh said. Considering his predicament and the fact that there was yet another red mark on his face-- when had that happened?-- Goh’s voice held steady, as if he were reading a headline instead of telling Ash to leave him behind. “The most important thing is to keep Mew safe. You know that.”

Ash didn’t know that. Apparently, neither did Mew.

The hand on Ash’s wrist disappeared as Mew shifted back to its true form. Mew narrowed its blue eyes.

Tangrowth flew backward. Matori stumbled back with a gasp. “Was that Psychic?”

Tangrowth dragged Goh with him, but the Pokeball hit the ground. There was a flash of red as Cinderace was released.

Tangrowth hefted itself up, dragging Goh back to his feet as it went, but the Psychic attack must have knocked it dizzy. Before Tangrowth could recover, a fireball knocked it flat again.

Goh braced himself, but a pair of furry arms caught him. “Cinderace!” Goh yelled, ecstatic to see his partner unharmed. Cinderace snapped away the vines and, scooping Goh into his arms, raced to Ash’s side fast enough to leave scorch marks on the ground.

Mew continued to hover menacingly over Tangrowth. Ash could sense a dangerous aura rising around Mew, and he reached a hand toward Dragonite. “If things get too dangerous, you take Goh and get out of here.”

Goh protested. “What? No way!” He pushed himself out of Cinderace’s arms. “Mew is still in trouble!”

Ash didn’t think so. In fact, he was worried for the Tangrowth struggling to get back to its feet.

Matori must not have noticed the change in atmosphere yet, because she yelled, “Tangrowth, use Block!”

Tangrowth shook itself, and vines flung across the clearing, as if to block Mew’s escape.

Mew was not interested in escape. It gathered some of the thicker vines and, with strength that did not match its small size, used them to fling Tangrowth back into the dirt.

“Foul Play,” Ash recognized the move. “Mew’s copying moves from our battle.”

Tangrowth struggled upright once more and flung a Power Whip into the air. Mew teleported out of the way.

“What’s she doing?” Goh hissed. Ash followed his gaze toward Matori. She was aiming an Ultra Ball at Mew.

Ash’s stomach dropped. With Mew this enraged, she might catch it-- or she might draw its attention. He doubted that Matori could stand up to Mew’s rage like Tangrowth could. Worse, he was too far away to do anything.

Then Goh yanked a Pokeball out of his pocket and threw a curveball.

The Pokeball collided with the Ultra Ball with a smack, and both fell harmlessly to the ground. The sound caught Mew’s attention, and its head swiveled toward Matori.

Mew’s whole body tilted backward as it opened his mouth, revealing a powerful orange glow.

Goh was already running. 

He slid in front of Matori with arms spread wide. “Stop!” he yelled. “You can’t do this!”

Mew fired a Draco Meteor straight at them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It took me quite a while to choose Team Rocket's Pokemon. For those who are curious, most decisions came down to the idea that Matori originally appeared in the Diamond & Pearl anime and a little lore from the Pokemon Adventures manga.


	7. Snorlax

Ash was never going to forgive himself.

Dragonite’s Hyper Beam had produced enough smoke to cover the forest clearing. That was nothing compared to the flaming orange meteors that rained down at Mew’s command.

Dragonite flung herself over Ash, Pikachu, and Cinderace, shielding them from the worst of the blast. Noise roared over them. The blast kicked up enough dirt to block out the midday sun. The earth itself trembled.

When the blasts subsided, Ash crawled out from under Dragonite and surveyed the damage. With so much dust in the air, Ash couldn’t see very far, but what he could see was bad enough. The camp looked like a warzone. The tents were flattened. Debris and broken trees littered the ground. Stray bits of grass still crackled with flame. 

Cinderace stumbled forward with a dazed expression and downcast ears. “Mee-ster?”

Pikachu joined the call. “Pikachuuu!”

Ash couldn’t move. His legs felt heavy as concrete. He knew he had to keep going. He knew, no matter what waited up ahead, he had to _do something._

A memory flashed through his mind. On his very first research assignment with Goh, Ash had stepped between Team Rocket and a group of Ivysaur. It had been a totally different situation-- Ash had defeated Jessie and James a hundred times before, Pikachu had been at his side to deflect the attack, and they had been defending innocent Pokemon instead of a villainous kidnapper. Even so, Ash could remember how quiet Goh had been on the way back to the lab. Goh had accepted Scorbunny as his first Pokemon shortly thereafter. He had picked up on Ash’s heroic tendencies, and Ash had encouraged him.

If Ash could go back in time, he would tackle himself right off that rooftop if it kept Goh from doing _this._

As Ash stood there frozen in anguish, the dust started to settle. Then he heard whimpers up ahead.

Goh stood exactly where he had come to a halt in front of Matori. A fresh cut slashed across the side of his face, and he was sooty enough that he looked like he had walked through a fire. Deep craters circled where he stood.

In his arms, Mew whimpered and sniffled into his shirt. Goh rubbed circles on its back as it cried.

Things happened very quickly after that.

The original explosion had attracted attention. Before Ash could reach Goh’s side, police and EMTs descended on the area. A pair of Team Rocket members had been caught in the blast and suffered minor injuries, but Matori and the others escaped. 

Several Pokemon had been left to fend for themselves, including Koffing and Tangrowth. Ash made arrangements to send them to Professor Oak’s lab. He intended to check on them later, but first he had to check on Goh. 

Mew teleported away as soon as other people arrived. Goh’s arms hovered in front of him for a minute, as if still holding Mew, until Cinderace pulled Goh into a hug. Goh buried his face in the white fur and didn’t move again until Ash led him over to the medical professionals. Goh almost fell asleep even as they patched him up. Cinderace stood guard over him, ears flattening whenever Goh so much as shifted.

As Ash tried to head off Officer Jenny, his phone started buzzing with frantic calls from his mother, Goh’s parents, Chloe and her father-- to the point that Ash didn’t know who to call back first. Professor Oak appeared as if by magic at his side. With a pat to the back, the professor promised to call everyone and assure them that they were safe. 

Ash forgot to warn him about the Pokemon headed toward his lab.

Goh woke up to an arm wrapped around his neck and a faceful of white fur. He panicked for about three seconds before he realized it was Cinderace crowding him off the bed. Pikachu was there, too, making squeaky sounds in his sleep. "Hey," Goh gently nudged Pikachu's cheek. "What are you doing here?

A hand brushed the hair off his forehead. Startled, Goh jerked upright. Pikachu and Cinderace both tumbled back. Beside the bed, Ash’s mother chuckled. “Shh, shh, it’s okay.”

“Where am I?” Goh asked, but then his eyes landed on a shelf of trophies. He recognized the trophy from the Pokemon World Coronation Series. “Oh.”

He vaguely remembered Ash herding him through a swarm of people. After that, he had no idea how they had made it back to Ash’s house, or how he had wound up in a fresh pair of pajamas with Snorlax’s face on the front. The room was dark, but a sliver of yellow light peeked through the curtains. Just how long had he slept?

“Your parents are on their way,” Delia said. “Chloe called to tell you that Rotom and the rest of your Pokemon are doing well. I sent Ash downstairs to grab some dinner. He’ll be back in a minute.”

Goh scooted back so that he could sit up against the wall. “You’re an angel.”

Delia beamed and brushed at his hair again. “Anytime, sweetie.”

There was a clatter downstairs, and Delia excused herself. As soon as she left, Goh scooted off the bed. Cinderace and Pikachu grumbled, but he waved them off. When he couldn’t find a mirror, he used the screen of Ash’s phone to check his face. In addition to the bruises, he now sported a deep cut down the right side of his face. When had he gotten stitches? Feeling completely disoriented, he sat on top of the desk and tried to sort through what had happened.

Matori had told him something about Mew following him. Mew had unleashed its power in the middle of the camp, then disappeared. He did not know what had become of Matori or her plans to create a monster Pokemon.

Most of all, Goh felt heartsick. He finally met Mew, and it had been just as magical as he had ever dreamed. Mew had been just as kind and cool and amazing as he remembered. Goh had tried to keep it safe... and his failure had been pretty spectacular. He didn’t know what else he should have done, but if everything had ended with Mew’s tears, then Goh should have done something else.

Then Cinderace patted Goh’s head with his big fluffy paw, and Goh felt some of the tension drain out of his body. At least he did one thing right. 

“I don’t know what I’d do without you,” he told Cinderace because it was true. Before Scorbunny insisted on being his friend all those years ago, Goh had been such a lonely kid, obsessed with research but never fully appreciating Pokemon themselves. Then he started filling the Pokedex, which in turn filled his life with friends and adventure. “If it weren’t for you, I never would have found Mew, let alone made friends with it.” 

Cinderace yanked Goh into an embrace and made a sour face that Goh recognized as jealousy. Goh laughed. “Don’t worry, you’re still my favorite.”

There was a knock on the door, and Ash peeked in. “Ready for food? Mom made croquettes.”

Ash grabbed the chair that his mom had been using and set a tray down on the desk. Pikachu snagged a cookie and settled into Ash’s lap to munch on it.

The salty smell of fried potato goodness made Goh’s stomach rumble. He hadn’t realized how hungry he was until he crunched into the first one. Knowing how Ash hoarded these things, he grabbed a second.

Ash shoved the tray closer to him. “Eat,” he insisted. Then: “So, that plan..."

“Went sideways?” Goh swallowed, hard. “I’m sorry. Guess I’m not as stealthy as I thought I was.”

Ash raised an eyebrow. “Yeah. Also… you do realize that I wouldn’t have left you, right?”

Goh frowned, remembering Matori's attempt to trade him for Mew. He had not been prepared for Ash's heartbroken face or Mew's wrathful outburst. Goh had known going in that keeping Mew safe had been top priority, which is why Goh had left Mew at Ash's side. He trusted Ash to do the right thing.

"I would've figured something out," Goh muttered.

Ash didn't say anything at first. Then he reached out a hand and traced the stitched line on the side of Goh's face. It should have hurt, but all Goh could feel was goosebumps. 

"I heard you telling Cinderace that you didn't know what you'd do without him. You know, we feel the same way about you." 

Cinderace bumped against Goh's side, and Pikachu chirped his agreement. 

Goh had a dozen responses to that, ranging from snarky to embarrassingly needy. Instead, he did something stupid.

He leaned forward and kissed Ash Ketchum.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, apparently this is the fic that will not die. The last chapter turned out super long, so I divided it in two. I promise we're closing in on the end.


	8. Mew

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I rewrote this chapter at least a dozen times before the last scene finally came together. Unfortunately, I had to cut a few scenes that included Professor Oak and Matori, but in the end, the focus had to be on Ash, Goh, and of course, Mew. 
> 
> Thank you to everyone who has commented on this story. I loved writing it for you, and I really hope you enjoy the ending.

The next morning, Ash found Goh in the corner of Professor Oak's lab. Ash studied the haphazard pile of books, the notebook full of scribbles, and the way Goh silently moved his lips as he read, the way he only did when he hadn't slept. 

Last night, Goh's parents had arrived with impeccable timing. Ash hadn't been able to respond to the surprise kiss at all before his mother dragged him away to give Goh and his family some privacy. Then Ash had tortured himself half the night about whether Goh had meant anything by it or if he just got caught up in the moment. Judging from the picture in front of him, Goh must have been thinking about it, too.

Reassured by that thought, Ash dropped into the opposite seat. "You've been here a while, huh?"

Goh jumped. "Oh. Good morning."

"Hi." Ash used the distraction to snatch the notebook. Goh made a belated grab for it, but Ash leaned back in his chair to hold it out of reach. "What are these... field notes?"

"Every detail of my fateful encounter." Any other day, that phrase would have sparkled, but this morning, Goh just sounded tired. "Footage would have been better, but I didn't have my phone."

Ash smiled to himself as he scanned the notes. Goh's handwriting was almost as bad as his. Even so, "Professor Cerise is going to flip when he sees this."

Goh hummed noncommittally as he sat back in his chair. "By the way... how's Dragonite?"

Ash handed the notebook back. "She's good. Hugging it out with everyone outside." He turned to the window... and immediately realized his mistake. In the field outside, Dragonite had wrapped her arms around Tangrowth. Ash glanced back to Goh, nervous about his reaction.

"If you could see your face..." Goh laughed. "I already saw them. That was good thinking, bringing those Pokemon here."

"Uh-huh." Ash breathed a sigh of relief. He should have known that Goh would understand. "So, I saw that your parents went back to Vermilion."

"Yep." Goh plucked a book from the top of his stack. "Something about the new intern. They claim they want to slow down, but you know they won't."

Ash did not point out the obvious about the workaholic apple not falling far from the workaholic tree. Instead, he studied Goh's face. He didn't look upset... but he was doing that thing again, moving his lips as he read.

"Goh..." Ash rested his chin on his hands. "Come on, the books will wait. You need sleep." 

"Hold on, I think I found the passage..." Goh leaned forward and read the next line aloud. "The mythical Pokemon appears only to those people who are pure of heart and have a strong desire to see it...” 

Ash perked up. "That explains it, right?"

"Explains what?"

“You’re wondering why Mew liked you, right?" Suddenly, Goh's early morning dive into the Professor Oak's library made sense. Ash would have thought that meeting Mew would put an end to the obsessive research, but now he realized that he had been kidding himself. “You love Mew more than anyone I’ve ever met. Why wouldn’t it like you?”

"Oh." Goh set the book down as he considered that. "How do you do that? Make everything sound so simple."

Ash shrugged. "I'm a simple guy."

"Uh huh." Goh raised an eyebrow, and Ash was distracted. It was endearing, how Goh automatically dismissed the idea that Ash wasn't smart. Huh.

He cleared his throat. "Actually, I needed to tell you something."

Then Goh surprised him by groaning and burying his face in his hands. 

"Are you okay?" Ash asked, scanning Goh for some hidden injury. 

"I know what you're going to say," Goh said without looking up. "I'm sorry. I messed up. You must think I'm an idiot. Listen, we can forget it-- just chalk it up to emotions running high, if you want to. I don't know. If you just want to be friends, I get it, and--"

Ash realized that Goh was talking about the kiss. "Whoa, whoa. Not what I was going to say, at all." He tugged Goh's hands away from his face, revealing the blush underneath. 

"How can you be the smartest person I know and still not see what's right in front of you?"

Then, before Goh could doubt himself anymore, Ash leaned across to table to kiss him. He ducked close enough to press their lips together, but it was Goh who rose to meet him and tucked a hand around his neck to hold him there. 

When he sat down again, Goh's eyes followed him, and he had to take a shaky breath before he continued, "So I wanted to tell you something."

"Ah." Goh, still blushing furiously, squeaked out a, "Sure, go ahead," that made Ash want to kiss him again. Instead, he soldiered on.

"I'm moving back to Kanto. Actually, I already did."

"What?" Goh gaped at him. "But you loved working at the Battle Tower."

“Yeah, for a while, but I’m ready to start my next adventure.” Then Ash pushed his luck. “With you.”

Ash waited, feeling like he had laid everything out between them. Goh studied him for a long minute before a smile slid across his face. 

"Sounds great. I know just where to start."

"How did you even know about this place? I haven't hiked out here in ages." Ash breathed in the sunshine and wildflowers. Pidgey and Butterfree danced in the air above the meadow, and Pikachu excitedly pointed out a herd of Kangaskhan in the distance. "Goh, do you see this?"

"Already recording." Goh held his phone overhead for the best angle. His parents had delivered the new phone last night, and before they left Professor Oak's lab, Goh had used the computer system to transfer over his Rotom. To judge from the heart emojis floating across the screen, Rotom was glad to be back to work, too. 

As the Kangaskhan moved off, Goh tucked his phone back in his pocket. "Do you remember those Pokemon camps that Professor Oak used to have every summer? I thought it'd be fun to take this walk one more time."

"One more time," Ash snorted. "We'll be back here tomorrow looking for more Pokemon, won't we?" 

Goh grinned. "Probably." Ash shook his head, pretending to regret his choices, but Goh pointed out, "You're the one who offered to show me around. Don't even pretend you're not loving this."

"Okay, I won't." Ash caught up to Goh and wove their fingers together. "Lead the way."

If Goh blushed at the contact, it didn't slow him down. They followed the trail across a bridge, cut back to follow the stream, and ended up exploring a wooded ravine. Ash clambered up the large rocks like a little kid. Cinderace and Pikachu found an apple tree, and Cinderace put Pikachu on his shoulders to pick some of the fruit. 

Then Goh noticed something move among the apples. With a leg up from Cinderace, Goh shimmied halfway up the tree to snap a picture of a particularly large Kakuna, and by the time he climbed down, Ash had fallen asleep in the grass. Pikachu snuggled into the crook of Ash’s arm, apparently happy to join him for a nap. Goh snapped a picture of that, too.

Cinderace pouted at the loss of his playmate, so Goh held a finger to his lips and returned to the edge of the water. For a Fire Type, Cinderace sure enjoyed splashing his feet through the shallows. As the afternoon warmed up, Goh found that he didn’t mind dipping his feet in, either. 

"It's the perfect day, huh?" Goh leaned back. Something about this place felt so familiar, like something from a dream.

A flash of yellow caught his eye. At first, he thought Pikachu had woken up. He tugged his shoes back on just as the yellow disappeared behind a crop of rocks halfway up the face of the ravine. "Cinderace, I'll be right back, okay?"

Goh clambered up the rocks. He reached the top of the ravine in no time, but there was no sign of any Pokemon. He glanced over the edge to wave down at Cinderace, and he spotted Ash still napping in the grass with Pikachu under his arm.

A breeze kicked up, and Goh breathed in air scented by clean water and fresh flowers. He was going to miss this place when he returned to Vermilion. Wanting to remember this view, he pulled out his phone one more time. 

Rotom opened the camera front-facing, and Goh almost clicked away before he noticed the Psyduck in the background.

He whipped around. "Mew?"

Mew transformed into its true form and launched itself into Goh's arms. Goh had to scramble to avoid dropping his phone or falling over the edge of the ravine. "Hey, hey. You're okay."

Mew snuggled closer, and an image of a Pokeball flashed across Goh's mind.

Since Goh spent a lot of time thinking about Pokeballs, he didn't make the connection right away. Then he felt his bag lifting off his back, as if some invisible giant were plucking it up with a finger. "Hey, what--"

The zipper popped open, and a Pokeball fell to the ground. Mew chirped in his arms.

"Really?" Goh gasped. "Are you sure?"

Then more images flashed through his mind: an empty Pokeball, far-off mountains, a crowd of unfamiliar Pokemon that flitted by too fast for Goh to identify. 

"You're not staying," Goh understood, "but we'll always be friends. Is that what you mean?" Mew chirped encouragingly. "Yeah. I'd like that."

Mew somersaulted backward through the air, and Goh picked up the Pokeball. The pressure made his wrist twinge. Before he could throw it, Mew darted closer once more and pressed the button with its nose.

The Pokeball rocked once in his hand before clicking.

As Rotom read off the updated Pokedex entry, Goh stared at the Pokeball in his hand. He had wished so long for this that now, it almost didn't feel real. 

"Thank you," he whispered. Then he released Mew and, when Mew emerged with a flourish, hugged it close. The phone flashed as Rotom captured the moment.

Mew vanished back into the forest soon after, but this time, Goh felt like he could breathe. Now Team Rocket would not be able to catch Mew, and Goh's heart felt so full that it might burst. He knew with unshakable certainty that he had made a friend for life.

When Goh finally climbed down, the others greeted him with cheers and hugs. Apparently Ash and Pikachu had woken up in time to see the catch, but that did not stop Ash from insisting on a play-by-play retelling. Goh couldn't stop grinning, even as he kept one hand curled around the empty Pokeball.

He felt like he was holding his future in the palm of his hand, and that future felt like a promise of more adventure ahead.


End file.
